June 9, 2000 Federal Commission Advises Congress to Issue Even More Wiretaps A federal commission has determined that the Justice Department has not issued enough wiretaps. Complaining that technologies such as encryption and fiber optics are making it difficult for them to spy on people, the NSA is claiming that they are finding themselves at a technological disadvantage. As a result, the NSA is requesting a significant increase in budget. The full text of the report is available here. http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/commission.html Full story available here. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,36868,00.html On February 7, 2000, Wired Magazine carried a story about the Clinton administration's significant increase in the budget as it pertained to wiretaps. An increase from $15 million to $240 million dollars was appropriated to reimburse telephone companies for costs related to the implementation of CALEA. One half of the money is to come from the Department of Defense's national security budget. Barry Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union, stated that "the proposal to use thinly disguised intelligence agency money to fund CALEA confirms what we have suspected all along: The National Security Agency is a silent partner in the government's campaign to make our entire telecommunications system, including the Net, wiretap ready." Full Wired story available here. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,34164,00.html Jim Dempsey, Senior Counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology has an interesting take on the number of wiretaps issued by the federal government. Dempsey said, "While the number of wiretaps is going up and the number of people intercepted per wiretap is going up - the number of conversations intercepted per wiretap has been steadily going up - and yet the number of incriminating conversations per wiretap and the number of convictions per wiretap has either been holding steady or been going downward, which indicates they are surveilling more and more for less and less payback." The full text of the article is available here. http://www.cdt.org/privacy/govaccess/ For more information on the federal government and wiretapping please visit www.cdt.org. -- Kathleen No person is so grand or wise or perfect as to be the master of another person. - Karl Hess <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html <A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
